Applicatory-liquid feeding and applying apparatus



Dec. 24, 1968 P. w. KIRCH 3,418,054

APPLICATORY-LIQUID FEEDING AND APPLYING APPARATUS Filed July -14, 1966 M/VE/V TOP.

Pnuz I4! hem United States Patent Office 3,418,054 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 3,418,054 APPLICATORY-LIQUID FEEDING AND APPLYING APPARATUS Paul W. Kirch, Altadena, Calif.

(% P.0. Box 18948, Los Angeles, Calif. 90018) Filed July 14, 1966, Ser. No. 565,302 8 Claims. (Cl. 401-188) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The specification discloses a pressurized applicatoryliquid feeding and applying apparatus which includes applicatory-liquid storage reservoir means, such as for paint or the like, means for pressurizing the interior thereof, and a length of small diameter flexible feed tubing means in communication with the pressurized applicatory liquid or paint at the rear end thereof and in communication at the forward end thereof with an applicatory brush means, such as a paint brush or the like, which is provided with a finger operable valve of a normally closed type adapted to prevent the passage of any of the pressurized liquid or paint therethrough except when controllably opened to any desired extent by applying a finger to an exterior pushbutton controlling the valve and mounted at a convenient location on a rear top surface portion of the brush body. When the valve is finger operated into open position, the paint is fed therethrough and into the interior of a plurality of brush bristles by way of a laterally outwardly diverging, flat, spatulate, disseminating, outlet nozzle means of a flexible type positioned entirely within and hidden by the plurality of bristles forming the forward brush portion of the paint brush. In a preferred form, the connection of the forward end of the feed tubing to the applicatory brush means is by way of an inlet coupling means which is positioned adjacent to an interconnection junction of a forward end of the brush handle and a rear end of a body portion carrying the brush bristles at a location such as to provide a minimum of interference with a hand adapted to manually hold the handle during a liquid applying operation, such as a painting operation or the like.

Generally speaking, the present invetnion relates to applicatory apparatus for applying a liquid to a surface and, more particularly, pertains to such an applicatory apparatus which takes the form of a liquid-supplied applicatory brush means primarily intended to apply an applicatory liquid, such as paint, or other surface covering or coating means, to a surface, and, for the sake of simplicity, throughout this application, the word paint shall be broadly construed as meaning any such applicatory liquid whether it is actually paint, enamel, varnish, shellac, log oil, or stain, or the like, individually or in various combinations thereof, and with various suitable pigments or coloring agents employed therewith, if desired.

The applicatory brush means of the present invention is provided with means for controllably supplying applicatory liquid, or paint, under the control of the persons hand holding the applicatory brush means so that exactly the desired amount of applicatory liquid, or paint, will be made available at the tip of the applicatory brush means during a liquid-applying or painting operation and there need be no delay, in the conventional prior art manner occasioned by the necessity for frequently stopping a liquid-applying or painting operation in order to dip the brush means into a container carrying the applicatory liquid or paint which is to be applied to a surface. This greatly decreases the amount of time required for completing the applying of an applicatory liquid to, or the painting of, a given area of surface and, therefore, vastly improves the efficiency of the complete operation, and this is the primary purpose and object of the present invention.

The apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful for trim painting, and the like, which cannot be conveniently done by paint rollers, which are better adapted for painting wall surfaces, ceiling surfaces, or other flat surfaces not having any changes in surface shape or convolutions and not having any edges which must be very carefully and accurately painted, such as thgbse around a window frame, door frame, or the like. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention will be primarily described hereinafter in one exemplary embodiment intended primarily for applying paint to or, as it is commonly called, painting, such trim surfaces, but it should be clearly understood that this is exemplary only and should not be construed as specifically limiting the invention to painting only such surfaces or to applying only paint to a surface.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide an applicatoryliquid feeding and applying apparatus of the character referred to herein, generically and/or specifically, and which may include any or all of the features mentioned herein, either individually or in combination, and which is of extremely simple, relatively inexpensive construction adapted for ready mass manufacture at relatively low cost per unit and which is of virtually foolproof, easy-to-clean construction whereby to be conducive to widespread manufacture, distribution, and use thereof, and which results in a vastly improved liquid-applying or painting operation, making it possible to cover a given surface area in much less time than with conventional prior art liquid-applying or painting equipment intended for applying liquid to, or painting, comparable surfaces.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment of the invention, and a slight variation thereof, are illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying single drawing sheet and are described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a reduced-side perspective view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of the invention in supported, carried relationship by a painter who is shown holding the paint brush in his right hand, with his index finger positioned lightly on the normally-closed finger-operable valve means carried by the paint brush and controlling the pressurized flow of paint to the interior of the paint brush so that a painting operation will be completely under the control of the painter and can be done very rapidly and expeditiously.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the arrows 22 of FIG. 1 and with a vertically intermediate portion of the reservoir means removed for drawing space-saving reasons. Also, in this view only the back portion of the supporting and carrying means is shown, for reasons of drawing simplizity, and the forward end of the feed tubing is broken away for similar reasons.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, partly-broken-away perspective view of the applicatory brush means of FIG. I, with a forward portion of the feed tubing means being shown connected to an inlet coupling means of .said applicatory brush means for supplying paint thereto.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the staggered plane indicated by the arrows 4-4 of FIG. 3 and shows the finger-operable control valve means in its normal closed position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the central portion of FIG. 4 to more clearly show the detail thereof and also it should be noted that it shows the finger-operable control valve means in a finger-operated open position such as to allow the flow of paint therethrough to the interior of the forwardly extending bristles of the brush means.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the arrows 66 of FIG. 5 and further illustrates the detailed structure of the communicating channel means of the finger-operable control valve, which is shown in a finger-operated open position in FIG. 6 whereby to allow the fiow of paint into the interior of the forwardly extending bristles of the brush means of FIGS. 1 and 3-5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view taken substantially along a plane such as is indicated by the arrows 77 in FIG. 3, but illustrates a very slightly modified form of the forwardly diverging spatulate disseminating outlet nozzle means adapted to disseminate paint into the interior of the forwardly extending bristles of the paint brush.

Generally speaking, the applicatory-liquid feeding and applying apparatus of the present invention comprises an applicatory liquid or paint storage reservoir means, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 20, which is provided with a length of flexible, small-diameter, feed tubing means, such as that generally designated by the reference number 22, connected to and in communication with the interior 24 of the storage reservoir means at a rear end 26 of the tubing 22 and having a remote forward end 28 provided with, connected to, and in interior communication with, an applicatory brush means, such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 30.

The applicatory brush means 30 normally has a rearwardly extending handle 32 and forwardly extending bristle means, such as generally designated by the reference numeral 34, provided with and interconnected by an intervening interconnecting brush body portion such as is generally designated by the reference numeral 36.

The applicatory brush means 30 is provided with inlet coupling means, one form of which is best shown in FIG. 3 at 38, and which may comprise a direct or an indirect friction-fit, clamp-fit, or any other suitable type of engagement of the two parts 28 and 38, or engagement means connected thereto, for effectively coupling the forward end 28 of the flexible plastic feed tubing 22 to the inlet coupling means 38, and all such coupling means modifications are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

In the exemplary first form of the invention illustrated, the interconnection of the forward end 28 of the feed tubing 22 to the brush inlet coupling means 38 is located substantially adjacent to, or at the junction or interconnection of, the forward end 40 of the handle portion 32 and the adjacent rear wall 44 of the previously-mentioned interconnecting brush body portion 36, since it is believed that this provides a very convenient location which is not likely to interfere with a persons manipulation or use of the applicatory brush means 30. However, various other connection locations may be employed within the broad scope of the present invention.

The brush inlet coupling means 38 extends into the interior of the junction of the forward end 40 of the handle 32 and the rear wall 44 of the interconnecting brush body portion 36 and there is effectively provided with, and connected to, interior flow passage means, which is generally designated by the reference numeral 46, as best shown in FIG. 3, which passes through the interior of the brush. body portion 36 and forwardly into the center of a rear portion of the forwardly extending bristle means 34 at a location such as is generally indicated at 48, as is best shown in FIG. 3, and then is fed forwardly through a spatulate forwardly laterally diverging outlet nozzle means such as is generally designated at 50, as best shown in FIG. 3, and out the laterally broad, vertically narrow, outlet slot 52 thereof into the interior of forward portions of the bristle means 34 in a manner such as to enhance the dissemination of liquid or paint, such as is indicated by the reference numeral 54 in FIG. 2, which is fed from the interior chamber 24 (which is pressurized by means which will be described hereinafter) through the feed tubing 22 and the finger-operable control valve means, generally designated by the reference numeral 56, when it is depressed by the index finger of the painter, generally designated at 58 in FIG. 1, who is holding the brush in his hand in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 with his index finger 6t] normally resting on the outer upwardly projecting pushbutton member 62 of the normally-closed control valve means 56.

The above makes it possible for the painter 58 to momentarily press the pushbutton 62 to temporarily or momentarily open the control valve 56, which will allow the pressurized paint 54 in the reservoir 20 to be fed through the feed tubing 22, the interior fiow passage means 46, the open control valve 56, and out of the spatulate nozzle means 50 into interior moistening relationship with respect to the forward ends of the bristle means 34. As soon as the painter 58 feels that sufiicient paint has been fed to the bristle means 34, he merely lifts his index finger from the pushbutton 62 and the control valve 56 immediately shuts off the flow of paint, and the painter 58 will normally continue to paint until the paint carried by the bristles 34 is reduced in quantity to a degree such that he feels that he should again feed a small quantity of paint to-the interior of the bristles 34 by again temporarily depressing the pushbutton 62 with his index finger 60.

Thus, it will be seen that the apparatus illustrated and described above provides extremely precise control by the painter 58 of the flow of the paint 54 to the forward ends of the bristles 34 whereby to comprise an optimum method for rapid and efiicient painting with no wasted time being required for dipping the bristle means 34 in a conventional paint container in the conventiona prior art manner.

The exem lary normally-closed, finger-operable valve means 56 comprises the previously-mentioned upwardly and outwardly projecting pushbutton member 62 integrally connected to, and comprising a reduced-diameter upward extension of, a downwardly-directed valve body portion 64, which is slidably mounted in a valve recess 66 formed in the interior member 68 of the previouslymentioned interconnecting 'brush body portion, generally designated by the reference numeral 36. The bottom part of the recess means 66 is provided with a biasing coil compression spring 70 positioned on a central, upwardly directed, stop projection 72 and normally abutting the bottom 74 of the valve body portion 64 and adapted to bias it upwardly or outwardly into the valve-closed position best shown in FIG. 4, wherein an upper shoulder 76 abuts an annular portion 78 positioned immediately around the top aperture 80 in the metallic ferrule or cover plate 82 fastened around the mating molded plastic upper and lower half portions together comprising the inner member 68 and, together therewith, comprising the previously-mentioned interconnecting brush body portion, generally designated by the reference numeral 36. Said shoulder 76 acts to stop any further upward movement of the valve body portion 64 and to normally retain it in the closed position shown in FIG. 4.

However, it will be understood that when the top pushbutton 62 is finger-depressed, such as by the painters index finger 60 of FIG. 1, into the position shown in FIG. 5, the annular communicating channel means 84 extending around the exterior of at least a part of .the

valve body portion 64 is moved into a particular plane transverse to the direction of displacement of the valve body portion 64 by the pushbutton 62 and in lateral alignment with and communication with adjacent ports 86 and 88 of adjacent portions of the previously-mentioned interior flow passage means 46 whereby to provide through-passing communication of the feed tubing 22 and the nozzle means 50, which will, of course, allow paint 54 from the interior pressurized chamber 24 of the reservoir means 20 to be fed in any desired quantity into the interior of the forward ends of the bristles 34 of the paint brush 30 for the purposes previously described.

It will be understood that as soon as the pressure of the painters finger 60 is removed from the pushbutton 62, the biasing spring 70 will displace the valve body portion 64 upwardly from the open position shown in FIG. 5 into the closed position shown in FIG. 4 with said annular communicating channel means 84 out of communication with the ports 86 and 88, thus cutting off any flow of paint to the bristles 34.

Incidentally, it should be noted that the interior flow passage means, generally designated by the reference numeral 46, may merely comprise bores or apertures formed in the corresponding parts of the upper and lower mating molded plastic half portions which together comprise the inner member 68. Or certain parts of said interior flow passage means, generally indicated at 46, may have additional plastic tubing inserted thereinto and generally similar to the plastic feed tubing 22. For example, such auxiliary plastic tubing is clearly shown to the right and to the left of the valve 56 in FIGS. 36, and such use of interior tubing may be employed wherever it is though to enhance the operation of the device and/or to improve the sealing of the liquid or paint 54 within the interior flow passage means generally indicated at 46.

It should also be noted that the inner member 68 of the interconnecting brush body portion, generally designated by the reference numeral 36, need no necessarily be made of mating molded plastic upper and lower half portions, together comprising said inner member 68 and fastened together by the outer member 82, but may comprise a wooden member 68, which may be in the form of mating half portions or which may be a unitary member having the various portions of the interior flow passage means 46 drilled thereinto from appropriate end or side surfaces and, where needed, subsequently plugged at the extreme ends thereof so as to define an interior flow passage means substantially equivalent to that shown at 46 in FIG. 3.

The previously-mentioned reservoir means 20 actually comprises, in exemplary form of the invention illustrated, a cylindrical container having a bottom 90 and upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall means 92 provided with removable cover means 94 and with controllably engageable and disengageable fastening means 96 for fastening the cover 94 across the otherwise open top of the container means 20 and in sealed relationship therewith whereby to define the previously-mentioned interior pressure chamber 24 therewithin. In the exemplary form illustrated, said fastening means 96 comprises a plurality of threaded studs 98 fastened to to top edge 100 of the side wall 92 and adapted to have the annular gasket member 102 also carried by the top edge 100 of the container 20 so that the cover 94 may have corresponding edge holes therein vertically positioned over the studs 98 and may have finger-operable nuts 104 threadedly tightened thereon so as to lock corresponding annular portions of the cover 94 and the top edge 100 of the side wall 92 on opposite surfaces of the sealing gasket 102 whereby to provide an air-tight seal within the interior pressure chamber means 24.

It should be noted that the reservoir means or container 20 is provided with outlet means for connection to the previously-mentioned flexible duct means 22, and said outlet means is generally designated by the reference numeral 106, as is best shown in FIG. 2, and comprises a feeding tube 108 extending downwardly through the interior pressure chamber 24 to the bottom of the quantity of paint 54 and there being provided with an open inlet end 110 in direct communication with the paint 54. The upper end of the feeding tube 108 has a threaded fitting 112 which is threadedly sealingly and removably engaged within a corresponding threaded portion 114 centrally carried by the cover 94, thus making it possible to remove same whenever desired, such as to facilitate cleaning the feeding tube 108, if desired.

In the exemplary form illustrated, the interior pressure chamber means 24, which acts substantially as an air accumulator, is adapted to be pressurized to a moderate degree to cause positive feeding of the paint 54, and this is accomplished in said exemplary form illustrated, by the provision of a hand-pump means, one form of which is generally designated at 116, which is sealingly threadedly removably engaged in through-passing relationship with respect to the cover member 94, as indicated at 118 so that it can be removed, when desired, such as for cleaning, repair, or other purposes. Said hand-pump means has a handle 120 which may be operated normally by hand pumping same a few strokes for pressurizing the interior pressure chamber 24 to just a few pounds above atmospheric pressure, which can be determined by a pressure gauge (not shown) associated with the pump 116, or by a separate pressure gauge, indicated somewhat diagrammatically at 121. This is normally done just prior to a painting operation and will normally provide sufficient pressure to provide positive feeding of the paint 54 whenever the control valve 56 is temporarily opened and will do so for a substantial period of time, thus allowing a painting operation to continue for a substantial period of time before operation of the hand pump 116 is again required. However, it should be noted that other types of pressurizing means, either manually-operated or powerdriven, with automatic cut-off features incorporated, if desired, may be employed in lieu of the hand pump means 116, or pressure vessels containing air or other appropriate fiuids under pressure may be employed in lieu thereof, and all such arrangements are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

The reservoir means or container 20 is adapted to normally be supported and carried by body-engageable supporting and carrying means, one form of which is generally designated at 122 in FIG. I, which is cooperable with the reservoir means and container means 20 for supporting and carrying same and which is also adapted to be engaged and fastened with respect to the upper trunk portion, such as is designated at 124 in FIG. 1, of the body of the painter 58 for effectively placing the reservoir or container means 20 in supported relationship with respect to the body of the painter 58 so that he will be completely free to perform any desired painting operation and will not need to devote any attention whatsoever to the reservoir or container means 20. In the exemplary arrangement illustrated, said supporting and carrying means 122 comprises a base tray 126 having upwardly directed recess means 128 formed therein and of substantially the same size and shape as the bottom 90 of the reservoir container 20 so as to be adapted for firmly receiving and engaging same in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Also, if desired, laterally directed threaded engagement means, such as shown at 130 in FIG. 2, may be employed for threadedly connecting a rigid back panel member 132 of the supporting and carrying means 122 to a forward part of the side wall 92 of the reservoir or container 20. This is most clearly shown in FIG. 2. The back panel member 132 is provided with a conventional strap or belttype harness, such as is generally designated at 134 in FIG. 1, which may have suitable buckle means, lace-type 7 fastening means, or any other appropriate fastening means for fastening said harness 134 around the torso 124 of the body of the painter 58 for appropriately mounting the entire apparatus in an operative use relationship such as is best shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 merely illustrates a slight modification of the spatulate forwardly laterally diverging nozzle means 50' of the first form of the invention and, therefore, because it is a slight modification, it is generally designated by the reference numeral 50', and it will be noted that it includes a plurality of vertical webbing walls 136, which function to provide a plurality of adjacent, diverging, forwardly-directed passages 138 for the paint, which brings about a better dissemination thereof, and which also acts to positively maintain the spatulate shape of the modified nozzle means 50. Of course, both the modified nozzle means 50 of FIG. 7 and the first for-m thereof shown at 50 in FIG. 3 are of very flexible material so as to provide no interference whatsoever with the free flexion of the bristle means 34' or 34, respectively.

It should be noted that feed tubing 108 need not necessarily pass upwardly through the cover 94 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in all forms of the invention. In certain modifications, it may pass laterally through the side wall 92 or may feed directly downwardly through the bottom 90, if desired, and all such modifications are intended to be included and comprehended within the broad scope of the present invention.

' It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. Applicatory liquid feeding and applying apparatus comprising: applicatory liquid storage reservoir means provided with a length of flexible, small-diameter feed tubing means connected to and in communication with the interior thereof at a rear end thereof and having a remote forward end provided with, and in interior communication with, an applicatory brush means, said applicatory brush means having a rearwardly extending handle and forwardly extending bristle means provided with and interconnected by an intervening interconnecting brush body portion, said handle having a forward end and said body portion having a rear end effectively interconnected and defining junction means therebetween, said applicatory brush means being provided with inlet coupling means extending into the interior of said body portion and there being provided with and connected to interior flow passage means passing through said body portion and forwardly into said forwardly extending bristle means completely therewithin to a location between said brush body portion and a forward end of said brush means for interiorly feeding applicatory liquid initially supplied to said rear end of said flexible feed tubing means from said reservoir means, said inlet cou pling means being positioned adjacent to said junction means between said forward end of said handle and said rear end of said body portion and extending thereinto from a position offset from and at one side thereof at a location such as to provide minimum interference with a hand adapted to manually hold said handle during a liquid applying operation, said interior flow passage means being provided with a spatulate forwardly laterally diverging disseminating outlet nozzle means for forwardly laterally outwardly and interiorly feeding applicatory liquid to the inner rear ends of said forwardly extending bristle means in a manner enhancing the dissemination thereof to all forward portions of said bristle means; and finger-operable normally-closed valve means carried by said body portion in said interior flow passage means and normally closing same and controllably operable by a finger of a persons hand holding said applicatory brush means for allowing controlled forward feeding of applicatory liquid therethrough toward a forward end of said applicatory brush means, said valve means comprising an outwardly projecting pushbutton member provided with and connected to a radially enlarged valve body portion, a valve recess formed directly in and defined within and by said interconnecting brush body portion and directly mounting said valve body portion therewithin in a close fitting slidably mounted interior relationship, said valve recess being provided with a bottom-positioned biasing spring means normally bias ing said valve body portion and said radially smaller pushbutton member upwardly and outwardly into an upwardly outwardly displaced, extreme, valve-closed position, said valve body portion having an exterior annular communicating channel means at a particular valve-open plane transverse to the direction of downward and inward displacement of said valve body portion in response to forcible downward and inward finger actuation of said pushbutton member and normally positioned upwardly and outwardly displaced from, out of alignment with, and out of communication with, adjacent portions of said interior flow passage means through said interconnecting brush body portion, but adapted to be forcibly moved downwardly and inwardly into coplanar relationship with, and into communication with, adjacent terminal end portions of said interior flow passage means in response to downward and inward forcible finger actuation of said pushbutton member; said reservoir means having an interior pressure chamber means therewithin adapted to be effectively pressurized for causing pressurized positive feeding of applicatory liquid adapted to be carried within said reservoir means outwardly therefrom through said flexible feed tubing means toward said applicatory brush means whenever said finger-operable valve means is temporarily digitally operated into open position.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including pressurizing means removably carried by and in interior communication with said reservoir means and controllably operable for pressurizing the interior thereof whereby to provide a desired degree of pressure within said interior pressure chamber means thereof.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including handpump pressurizing means removably carried by and in interior communication with said reservoir means and controllably manually operable for pressurizing the interior thereof whereby to provide a desired degree of pressure within said interior pressure chamber means thereof.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, including bodyengageable supporting and carrying means cooperable with said reservoir means for supporting and carrying same and adapted to be engaged with respect to a portion of a human body for placing the reservoir means in effectively supported relationship with respect to a human body.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said supporting and carrying means comprises a base tray having upwardly directed recess means of substantially the same size and shape as a corresponding bottom portion of said reservoir means for receiving and engaging same.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said supporting and carrying means comprises a base tray having upwardly directly recess means of substantially the same size and shape as a corresponding bottom portion of said reservoir means for receiving and engaging same and controllably engageable and disengageable lateral directed attachment means for attaching a side portion of said reservoir means in laterally fixed relationship with respect to an upstanding portion of said supporting and carrying means for positively locking said reservoir means in firmly-fastened relationship thereto.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said reservoir means comprises a container having a bottom and upstanding side wall means and removable cover means provided with controllably engageable and disengageable fastening means for fastening said cover means across the otherwise open top of said container means and in sealed relationship therewith whereby to define said interior pressure chamber therewithin.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said reservoir means is provided with outlet means connecting it to said feed tubing means comprising a feeding tube having an open inlet end normally positioned adjacent to a bottom of said interior chamber within said reservoir means and being provided with fastening means for fas- 15 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1884 Rockwood l5553 X 3/1902 Grill 15-553 7/1903 Grahn 15553 X 2/1904 Cooper 15-553 X 7/1909 Price 15604 4/1950 Anson 15604 3/1957 Gubler 15604 X 10/1966 Nakaya et a1. 401188 3/1968 Stefely 401-188 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 6/1925 Germany.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

R. I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

